Section 708 Fire Partitions

The following wall assemblies shall comply with this section.

1. Walls separating dwelling units in the same building as required by Section 420.2.
2. Walls separating sleeping units in the same building as required by Section 420.2.
3. Walls separating tenant spaces in covered and open mall buildings as required by Section 402.4.2.1.
4. Corridor walls as required by Section 1018.1.
5. Elevator lobby separation as required by Section 713.14.1.

The walls shall be of materials permitted by the building type of construction.

Fire partitions shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour.

1. Corridor walls permitted to have a ¹/₂ hour fire-resistance rating by Table 1018.1.
2. Dwelling unit and sleeping unit separations in buildings of Type IIB, IIIB and VB construction shall have fire-resistance ratings of not less than ¹/₂ hour in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

Fire partitions shall extend from the top of the foundation or floor/ceiling assembly below to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, slab or deck above or to the fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assembly above, and shall be securely attached thereto. In combustible construction where the fire partitions are not required to be continuous to the sheathing, deck or slab, the space between the ceiling and the sheathing, deck or slab above shall be fireblocked or draftstopped in accordance with Sections 718.2 and 718.3 at the partition line. The supporting construction shall be protected to afford the required fire-resistance rating of the wall supported, except for walls separating tenant spaces in covered and open mall buildings, walls separating dwelling units, walls separating sleeping units and corridor walls, in buildings of Type IIB, IIIB and VB construction.

1. The wall need not be extended into the crawl space below where the floor above the crawl space has a minimum 1-hour fire-resistance rating.
2. Where the room-side fire-resistance-rated membrane of the corridor is carried through to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab of a fire-resistance-rated floor or roof above, the ceiling of the corridor shall be permitted to be protected by the use of ceiling materials as required for a 1-hour fire-resistance-rated floor or roof system.
3. Where the corridor ceiling is constructed as required for the corridor walls, the walls shall be permitted to terminate at the upper membrane of such ceiling assembly.
4. The fire partitions separating tenant spaces in a covered or open mall building, complying with Section 402.7.2, are not required to extend beyond the underside of a ceiling that is not part of a fire-resistance-rated assembly. A wall is not required in attic or ceiling spaces above tenant separation walls.
5. Attic fireblocking or draftstopping is not required at the partition line in Group R-2 buildings that do not exceed four stories above grade plane, provided the attic space is subdivided by draftstopping into areas not exceeding 3,000 square feet (279 m²) or above every two dwelling units, whichever is smaller.
6. Fireblocking or draftstopping is not required at the partition line in buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system installed throughout in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2, provided that automatic sprinklers are installed in combustible floor/ceiling and roof/ceiling spaces.

Where exterior walls serve as a part of a required fire-resistance-rated separation, such walls shall comply with the requirements of Section 705 for exterior walls, and the fire-resistance-rated separation requirements shall not apply.

Openings in a fire partition shall be protected in accordance with Section 716.

Penetrations of fire partitions shall comply with Section 714.

Joints made in or between fire partitions shall comply with Section 715.

Penetrations in a fire partition by ducts and air transfer openings shall comply with Section 717.